A Hero's Afterlife
by cflat
Summary: Now a Whitelighter, Buffy visits Dawn to give her some closure, and so Dawn can tell the others that she’s all right. Post The Gift.


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Now a Whitelighter, Buffy visits Dawn to give her some closure, and so Dawn can tell the others that she's all right. (Post The Gift.)

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**A Hero's Afterlife**

"Dawn." A far away voice said. Dawn Summers groaned and turned her head more into her pillow. She wasn't normally the type to take naps, but for some reason, she had felt like taking one that day.

"Dawn." This time, after her name was called, there was some light shaking that followed. It took Dawn's sleepy brain a few seconds to penetrate who it was that was calling her name.

"Buffy!" Dawn opened her eyes quickly, and sat straight up in her bed, her wide, surprised eyes facing her sister.

It had only been two months since the Scooby gang had buried Buffy in a very private ceremony—one so quite that only people in their immediate circle knew that Dawn's big sister was dead. Dawn was having trouble letting her sister go, and so were Xander, Giles, and especially Willow.

"Hi, Dawn." Buffy said, hugging her. As they pulled apart, Dawn couldn't help but stare at her sister.

"But aren't you… aren't you…" Dawn couldn't finish the sentence.

"Dead?" Buffy finished for her, sounding suspiciously cheerful when she said the word. "Yes, unfortunately, I am dead. Again." She put more of a pronunciation on 'again'.

"But then, how are you here?" Dawn asked her, still finding it hard that Buffy was actually there.

"Oh," she said shrugging, and sat down beside Dawn on her bed, "I have this job, and since I've been doing a good job, my bosses let me visit you, though just this once, or so they said." Dawn frowned at her.

"Wait a sec," she said. "You're… dead," Dawn paused slightly before saying 'dead. She was still having trouble saying that word when it concerned Buffy, "and you have a job!" Buffy nodded.

"I know," She said nodding. "Weird, isn't it? You'd think that when you're dead, you would get to have a permanent vacation."

"You'd think." Dawn agreed with her. "So, what's it like?" she asked Buffy.

"It's," Buffy began, but stopped abruptly, and slightly cocked her head, as if listening to something. "I'm sorry." Buffy said after a few seconds of silence. She looked back at Dawn. "I've got to go."

Dawn stared at her. "Go? But you just got here!" She really didn't want her sister to leave her- again. It seemed like that was all her family did lately.

"I know," Buffy said sadly. "But there's a small crisis that needs my attention." She hugged Dawn again. "I'll see you… someday."

"But-," Dawn started to say, but stopped when Buffy disappeared in blue and white lights. Dawn stared at the spot for a few seconds before deciding on what to do.

"Giles!" She called, and hurried out of her room.

BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS

"….And then she disappeared in blue and white lights," Dawn finished. She and the rest of the Scooby gang members—Giles, Xander, Willow, Tara, Anya, and Spike (he was now considered a member)—were in the living room. Dawn had just finished telling them about Buffy's little visit to her.

"Wait a minute," Xander said. He leaned forward in his seat. "She just disappeared?"

Dawn nodded. "In blue and white lights."

"Dawn, honey," Willow said, "are you sure you weren't just dreaming?" Dawn shook her head.

"No!" Dawn exclaimed. "I told you, I was wide awake! Besides," she added, "it didn't feel like any dream I've ever had."

"Sounds to me like Buffy's been made a Whitelighter," Anya said helpfully. Everyone present turned to stare at her.

"What?" Anya said, when she realized they were all staring at her.

"Ahn," Xander started. "You've heard of something like this before?" He asked his girlfriend.

Anya shrugged. "Of course. Don't forget that I've been around for a very long time."

"What's a Whitelighter?" Dawn asked her.

"A Whitelighter," Anya began, "is more commonly thought of as a guardian angel for good witches."

"Really?" Willow asked, interested. She then frowned. "Wait a minute. Why don't Tara and I have one, then?"

"Maybe the Hellmouth is somehow interfering?" Dawn suggested.

"That's a possibility," Giles muttered, thinking about it.

"Oh, come on," Spike said, speaking up for the first time since they had gathered in the living room. "Isn't it obvious?" Everyone continued to look at him. Spike rolled his eyes. "Who here has been here the longest and has extensive knowledge of many things supernatural? And who has dealt with dark magic before and knows the consequences of doing such actions again?"

"Oh!" Xander said, suddenly getting what Spike was insinuating at. "Giles!"

"S—so you're saying that wi—witches only get Whitelighers if they have no one to guide them?" Tara asked, stuttering slightly. Her stuttering had gotten better after she had started hanging around with this group, and gotten less shy.

"Exactly!" Spike said.

Giles, however, was still frowning. "Why hasn't the Watcher's Council ever heard of Whitelighters?"

"Does the Council work with witches at all?" Anya asked him. "If the Council doesn't work with a witch who has a Whitelighter, then how would they have heard of them?"

"That's a good question," Giles said. "I'll look into it."

"Wait a minute," Dawn said suddenly. She turned towards Anya. "You said that Whitelighter's look after good witches, right?"

"Yes," Anya said, frowning. She wasn't quite sure what Dawn was getting at.

"Well, Willow and Tara are good witches, and now Buffy's a Whitelighter!" Dawn said. Her excitement was hard not to notice.

"Wait a minute," Spike said. "I see where you're going. You're thinking that Buffy put Red and Glinda on her list," he said, calling Willow and Tara by the nicknames he'd given them.

"Can Buffy do that?" Xander asked, turning to face his girlfriend. "Can she put whoever she wants on her list?" Anya shrugged.

"I'm not really sure how the Charges get on a Whiteligher's list," She said. "But that doesn't mean that Willow and Tara aren't now on her list."

"How do we call her?" Willow asked Anya.

"Just say her name out loud."

Willow stared at Anya. "Seriously?" She asked.

Anya nodded. "Yep."

Willow shared a look with Tara. "Okay," she said, taking a breath. "Buffy!" Willow called. She waited a few seconds before calling again. "Buffy! Buff—" On Willow's third try, something happened. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some blue and white lights start to emerge by the living room entrance. One second later, Buffy emerged from the lights.

"Buffy," Giles said, staring at her.

"I was wondering when you'd all figure it out," Buffy smiled at them.

BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS BTVS

Buffy stayed with them for the next hour. They chatted about anything and everything that they felt like talking about. When Buffy looked outside and saw it was getting late, she knew her time was up.

"I want you guys to know that it's been really great seeing all of you again," Buffy said to her family. Xander had seen her look at the sky, and had seen the sadness in her eyes when she looked away.

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" Xander accused her. Buffy nodded sadly.

"Yes," she admitted.

"But, can't you stay?" Willow asked her, not wanting her best friend to leave again.

"I wish I could," Buffy said, shaking her head slightly. "But, as much as I hate to admit it, my place isn't here anymore."

"Where is it?" Dawn asked, sadly. She'd really missed her big sister, and didn't want her to leave any more then Willow did.

"I'm not exactly sure," Buffy admitted. "I go where I'm needed. But I can say this—I will see all of you again."

"Pinky swear?" Dawn asked her, holding up her right pinky. Buffy laughed, and she and Dawn shook. "I pinky swear." After they were done with that, Buffy hugged Dawn. Before Buffy knew it, she was in the middle of a group hug. She even saw, to her amusement, that Spike had gotten pulled into the hugs.

After a few seconds, the group pulled apart.

"It was great seeing you all again," Buffy told them. "I'll miss you." With that, she disappeared into blue and white lights.

Dawn sighed. "Do you think we'll see her again?" She asked no one in particular. Giles answered her question.

"I hope so, Dawn." He said. "I hope so."

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Well, there you go. How'd you like my version of Buffy being a Whitelighter? It's kind of strange that I've hardly seen Charmed xovers where Buffy becomes a Whitelighter. I wonder why that is. Anyhow, I hope you all liked it. Please review! 


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